It was on a pleasing March morning again in 2002 that I final sat down with Roshan Khan for an in depth interview.
Roshan wasn’t a really completely satisfied man throughout these days. In reality, such was his anger that he had politely refused my earlier requests for an interview which I wished to line up for my guide on the historical past of Pakistan squash. Once we lastly sat down for a chit-chat all he may speak about initially was how PIA, an organisation that had formed the worldwide profession of his illustrious son Jahangir Khan, was “shabbily” treating the legend.
Roshan was pissed off as a result of Jahangir Khan, who had been working as a Normal Supervisor in PIA, was sacked by the highest administration of the nationwide service as a part of its austerity drive in 2001. PIA was in a neck-deep disaster and wanted to shed its weight. For the Khan household, it was an unthinkable taking place.
“This isn’t the best way you deal with your heroes,” he lamented.
PIA’s unprecedented transfer wasn’t only a large shock for Roshan alone however the whole household.
For Jahangir, who was thought to be a demigod in Pakistan due to his unmatched heroics in worldwide squash, it was the primary expertise of its form. Nonetheless, Roshan had identified numerous ache and agony in his life, first as a participant and later as a father.
Roshan was an completed participant as a younger man. A grasp with a particular model, that was but to be seen in his village, Nawakilli.
Although Roshan solely has one British Open title tagged together with his title, he is a vital member of the Khan dynasty. He was a participant, who ought to have received much more titles however that was greater than compensated for by a bagful of British Open crowns received by his youngest son, Jahangir.
Roshan’s father Faizullah Khan was a rackets participant of reputation, who labored for the Military in Pachmari. Roshan’s mom was a daughter of Abdul Majeed Khan, who was the true founding father of squash in our land. Faizullah had two sons, Nasrullah and Roshan. The 2 boys all the time travelled with their father, who used to play each rackets event that befell close to his dwelling in Rawalpindi.
The 2 brothers had a searing ardour for sports activities. Be it rackets, tennis or squash, Nasrullah and Roshan had the aptitude for it. But it surely was the sport of squash for which the 2 brothers, particularly Roshan, confirmed distinctive expertise.
Roshan’s first agonising jolt got here together with the partition of India in 1947. Nasrullah at the moment was working as an expert in New Delhi. He was separated from the household following Independence. Roshan, who had all the time been very near his brother, missed Nasrullah, additionally his taking part in associate in squash.
Nonetheless, he continued taking part in the sport with the identical zeal he confirmed throughout childhood and was ok to achieve the ultimate of the Pakistan Skilled Championship in 1949 the place he misplaced to Hashim Khan. Roshan was not discouraged and stored attempting laborious, lastly successful the title in 1951 and retaining it very subsequent 12 months. Deep inside he wasn’t happy as his prime rival, Hashim, hadn’t participated within the two successive occasions as he was busy taking part in in Britain. “The 2 brothers (Hashim and Azam Khan) for some purpose averted taking part in towards me,” Roshan instructed me.
“I used to sit up for taking part in towards them as a result of I knew there wasn’t a lot of a distinction between us. However for the world, they had been the world champions and I used to be no person.”
Lack of labor compelled Roshan to maneuver to Karachi from Rawalpindi in 1951. As luck would have it, Nasrullah had already reached Karachi from New Delhi and the household was lastly reunited.
As a participant these had been very irritating years for Roshan and he didn’t know tips on how to get by way of that attempting interval. He was jobless, homeless and was nearly penniless.
His solely salvation was his love for squash and that’s precisely how he handed his time taking part in with Nasrullah, who additionally turned his coach and coach. Regardless of all his abilities and expertise, Roshan wanted that fortunate break which was nowhere in sight.
“I’ve actually seen distress in the true sense of the phrase. Now once I inform individuals about these days they don’t consider me. Once I inform them that I used to sleep on the sidewalks of Karachi and used to eat low cost meals from roadside distributors until simply months earlier than I began successful worldwide titles in Britain they don’t consider me,” stated Roshan with a smile. “They assume that I’m simply exaggerating however I’m simply stating the reality.”
Lastly, it was a possibility of a lifetime supplied by the Pakistan Navy that ended Roshan’s days of distress.
Although Roshan was at the moment a nationwide squash champion, the Navy supplied him a lowly job as a messenger. However Roshan was so determined that he was more than pleased to seize it. He was married by then and already had a son and the household was in determined want of an honest shelter and technique of livelihood.
It could not have been a really respectable job however his affiliation with the Navy lastly led to the belief of his fondest dream – to get an opportunity to play Hashim Khan, who by then had garnered an aura of invincibility.
It was due to the Navy that Roshan bought an opportunity to journey all the best way to Britain as by then it had change into apparent that Hashim was in no temper to provide Roshan a possibility to flex his muscle tissue towards him in Pakistan.
The PN chief was immediately concerned in giving the go-ahead to Roshan’s British journey however even then he hardly managed a measly 5 kilos as allowance and a ticket to England.
For years he had been ready for this second and now that it was lastly right here he was all moist to go. He had no correct clothes, no skilled package and solely 5 kilos in his pocket.
So wearing a used, outsized coat that got here from the Navy retailer, Roshan landed in London in 1954. With divine assist, Nasrullah additionally managed to affix him which was a terrific aid for Roshan, who was discovering life troublesome in a overseas land.
Cash was scarce within the first couple of weeks however Roshan managed to beat this hurdle by successful the Dunlop Championship, one of many richest squash occasions in Britain at the moment. Roshan defeated Azam Khan within the semis and despite a foot harm outplayed Egypt’s Mahmoud El Karim 9-6, 9-1, 9-Zero within the remaining. The title win enhanced Roshan’s standing as a contender for the British Open remaining the place Hashim and Azam had been already put in because the favourites. However Azam took candy revenge for his defeat to Roshan within the Dunlop championship by beating his compatriot within the semifinals of the 1954 British Open.
By then Roshan had untangled himself of the jinx that made him an indignant man within the earlier days of his skilled profession and he was now shuttling between Karachi and London for each competitors and training. Roshan got here again for the British Open in 1955 and was this time crushed by Hashim however not earlier than a tricky battle by which Roshan as soon as led 2-1.
Roshan was nonetheless positive that he was ok for the British Open crown and at last proved himself proper by successful the coveted title in 1957, his greatest 12 months as a squash skilled. He began the 12 months with a victory within the Dunlop championship however not earlier than a remaining towards Azam Khan that left Roshan with damaged enamel. It was a tricky battle by which each Roshan and Azam performed with a vengeance. Roshan took a two sport lead and within the third one Azam’s racket bought him full within the face, shattering his enamel. The match was allowed to proceed on Roshan’s insistence with Azam leveling the scores by successful the third and fourth video games. The fifth sport went to Roshan giving him the title that got here as a morale-booster forward of the British Open.
Roshan was at his peak within the British Open that 12 months. He defeated debutant Mohibullah Senior, Hashim’s nephew within the semi-finals, and at last managed to grasp his most cherished dream – defeating the mighty Hashim within the remaining. Although Hashim received the opening sport 9-6, Roshan was not prepared to surrender as he made a forceful restoration to win the subsequent three video games 9-5, 9-2, 9-1 to change into the brand new British Open champion.
Nonetheless, Roshan’s downfall started quickly after his first and solely British Open title. He injured each his knees which made him so susceptible that he couldn’t defend his title in 1958. Regardless of his painful knees Roshan reached the British Open remaining after a two-year lay-off however was butchered mercilessly within the remaining by Azam Khan. The scores learn 9-1, 9-0, 9-0.
Throughout the remainder of his profession Roshan largely figured within the semi-finals of main worldwide tournaments. He, nonetheless, made his mark on the North American circuit the place he received the US Open 3 times.
Roshan needed to bear the worst tragedy that might befall a person when his eldest son, Torsam, died on court docket whereas taking part in a match in Australia in 1979. “My coronary heart nonetheless bleeds for him,” the grand outdated man instructed me. 4 years later, Roshan handed away, closing a golden chapter of Pakistan squash.
Khalid Hussain is Editor Sports activities of The Information [email protected]
This text first appeared in The Information on Sunday on March 29, 2020